The narrative of the death of Anna Komnene began with two deaths in the family of her sister Maria, a daughter and a granddaughter, which plunged Maria into mourning. Anna, who was strongly oriented towards her family and especially Maria, with whom she had experienced the deaths of their parents, took on the role of comforter. At the same time she became very ill herself, but the role she had adopted made it impossible to concentrate on her own illness. She had to eat, drink and talk as if there was nothing wrong - and this made her much worse, leaving her unable to speak. She soon recovered her speech, but it was plain that her end was near. She bore this philosophically, without recriminations, and put her affairs in order. She prepared her children for her departure, especially her daughter Eirene. Georgios Tornikes too devoted a eulogy to Eirene at the end of his eulogy for Anna, suggesting that his work was sponsored by Eirene. As she died she prayed for every success for her imperial nephew Manuel I